Phoenix vs Rockford
The short version
- Rockford is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 11% lower than in the Phoenix area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $129,000 in Rockford and $420,700 in Phoenix.
- Households earn more in Phoenix ($81,332 vs $54,752 median).
- Phoenix has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 29°F.
- Rockford gets far more snow: 37 inches a year vs 0.
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 15.
- Phoenix is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs -1.1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Rockford (22 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Rockford, IL | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,665,481 | 147,384 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | -1.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,213 | 2,257 |
| Median age | 34.9 | 37.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 24% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,332 | $54,752 |
| Median home value | $420,700 | $129,000 |
| Home value to income | 5.2× | 2.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,582 | $985 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 92.2 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 121.2 | 70.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,500 | $69,100 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 55% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | 4.95% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 8.98% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.6 | 21.9 |
| Work from home | 19% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 8.5% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 21.3% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 46° | 29° / 15° |
| July high / low | 107° / 85° | 84° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 7 in | 37 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 37 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 173 | 15 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 136 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 92.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 69% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +8.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +63.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Phoenix: November to April. Rockford: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Phoenix weather by month and Rockford weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,500 in Phoenix and $69,100 in Rockford. Moving from Phoenix to Rockford, you would need about $66,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Phoenix and Rockford
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Phoenix and Rockford.
Which would you pick?
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